‘Fab… see you later.’ George hung up, and turned back to her Mac to finish off the design that she had been working on.
Penelope had a few more things to cover off in order to organise her night in. Their place could be full of musicians and tipsy blondes if she didn’t plan this carefully.
‘Hey Charlie, it’s me.’ Penelope was so glad that he picked up.
‘Hi there, I haven’t seen you all week… are you back at mum’s for some tlc?’ Charlie sounded concerned.
‘I wish… I have been working late nights all week, and in at the crack of dawn as usual… Listen are you in tonight? I was going to have the girls over and…’ Penelope began..
‘I was planning on being out, but if you girls are planning on having pillow fights in your underwear then I think I could change my plans!’ Charlie interrupted, he was always keen to attend any girly gatherings, so that he could be the centre of attention.
‘That doesn’t happen in real life! I mean really Charlie, for heaven’s sake, we are just having a takeaway and a bottle of wine, but there will be chick flicks involved…’ Penelope began again.
‘Ok, well count me out…!’ and Charlie didn’t give her a chance to finish, the mere mention of a chick flick had him changing his plans back.
‘Right! Do you know if Zara is going to be in? It would be good if she came for the…’
‘Pillow fight!’ Charlie cut in, he thought he would give it one more try.
… DVD too!’ Penelope sighed.
‘Can’t remember whether she said she would be in or out, just give her a ring… do you have her number?’ Charlie calmed down.
‘No. Do you?’ Penelope asked.
‘No.’ Charlie added.
‘Ok, well I’ll just have to ask her if she is home later, see ya!’ Penelope was so tired at this stage. She had to hang up.
‘Bye babes.’ Charlie was gone.
Penelope sat in her office, in deep thought. She had a pressing issue to resolve.
‘This day is seriously the longest day of my entire life… it’s too obvious if I nip home at five… I’ll have to wait here and twiddle my thumbs until the others leave at 6.30 pm… actually, maybe… just maybe, I could get away with leaving at 6 pm. I’ll chance it.’ Penelope had decided now, it was worth the risk, SW4 was calling to her, and she was hoping there was a bottle of white wine in the fridge.
In Covent Garden, things were not so serious, and “face time” was not an issue. Organicom always left the office before five on a Friday, and after work drinks were well under way.
‘Rob! I am not doing anuyer shot!’ Zara slurred.
‘What was that Zara? I didn’t quite catch what you said there… here knock this back.’ Rob couldn’t hear her over the music, and handed her a B52.
‘No! I’ll be sick, I can barely see in front of me!’ Zara was not lying, the room was moving!
‘Well, there’s no sense in wasting it!’ Rob knocked it back.
‘I had better head home now, I’m getting a bit too drunk.’ Zara was having a great time but she was trying to be sensible, she dreaded the trip home sober, let alone hammered!
‘Nonsense! We are only just warming up.’ Rob was really getting into party mode now.
‘No seriously, I have to get back, and I really can’t drink another shot.’ Zara had to put her foot down, she could not believe how drunk she was and it was so early.
‘Alright, alright… give up then, but we will remember this on Monday!’ Rob agreed with her, he knew she was right.
‘Ok, see you then.’ Zara was gone before anyone could change her mind. Covent Garden was a bit of a blur, there were thousands of people out drinking and on their way out. For once she was going completely against the crowd.
‘I seriously thought I would never get out of there. I’m getting so hammered. I had better sober up a bit before I get home, in case any of the others are in. I would hate to stagger in like a booze hag Mmm! Chips! That will definitely help.’
Zara decided that a bit of soakage food was definitely required for the journey. Even though it took her over an hour, she was finally home. She rooted around in her bag for five minutes and finally found the key. She was expecting to go in, and collapse into bed… how wrong she was. Penelope was standing at the top of the stairs.
‘Hello Zara, I’m sorry I haven’t been around so much this week, I have been working crazy hours…’ Penelope said enthusiastically.
‘Shit! I didn’t bank on Princess Penelope being in, I thought she was away, I probably stink of drink!’ Zara panicked, this was not what she had been expecting.
‘… anyway, my friend George, I mean Georgina is coming over for a girlie night in, we are getting a takeaway, and I have three chick flicks for us to choose from…’
‘Oh my god, oh my god, somebody stop her talking… I feel sick…’ Zara could not believe this was happening. Penelope was talking so fast, very out of character.
‘Would you like to join in…? You look like you are in for the night now anyway!’ Penelope prattled on and on, she really didn’t want Zara to say no, it would be a bit awkward if she just went upstairs to her room as they would be taking over the living room.
‘Shit… has she noticed I’m hammered.’ Zara could barely get a word in edgeways.
‘That sounds great, I haven’t had a girlie night in in weeks.’ Zara mustered up enough sobriety to say this in an enthusiastic, but not too keen, way.
‘George might be a bit tipsy, she’s out after work tonight, but don’t mind that!’ Penelope didn’t seem to have noticed that Zara was drunk, she was more concerned about warning her about George.
‘Oh, that doesn’t bother me at all.’ ‘I had better go and brush my teeth, Water!… I need water.’ Zara was delighted, if this girl George turned up drunk it would totally take the heat off her.
‘Fantastic! Do you have anyone that you would like to invite over?’ Penelope totally relaxed now. The evening was sorted. The wine was in the fridge. George was on her way, and it would be a lovely night in.
‘I wish!’ ‘No thanks, everyone is out tonight… Friday night… you know the way it is.’ Zara hid the truth, the fact that she didn’t have any friends in London … yet.
‘Of course.’ Penelope was glad that she had asked, but was relieved, it would be so much nicer with just the three of them.
Zara made her way upstairs to brush her teeth and wash her face. ‘That was really nice of Penelope. I don’t get the feeling that she was just inviting me because I was there, I get the feeling she was actually waiting for me to come home. That’s kind of sweet. I thought she would be out with her boyfriend, on second thought maybe she is single, why else would she be in on a Friday night.’ Zara reflected as she thoroughly brushed her teeth, keen to remove any traces of the shots in Covent Garden.
When Zara went back downstairs Penelope was standing there, again, phone in hand. ‘I was going to call you earlier to see what you were up to, but neither of us had your number, can I have it now?’ Penelope was ready to put the number in.
‘Of course, can I get yours too?’ Zara hadn’t realised that she didn’t have Penelope’s personal mobile number until this moment.
‘No problem.’ Penelope gave Zara her number. ‘George should be here any minute… you can choose the film, I’ll decide which takeaway menu we are going to rely on tonight, and George is bringing the wine.’ Penelope was distracted by the takeaway menus.
‘Perfect’. Zara was relieved that the most she had to do was to choose the film.
‘For someone I thought I had nothing in common with, this isn’t so bad! Maybe I misjudged Penelope a bit,’ Zara thought to herself.
‘Thank god Zara said yes, It would have been a little awkward if she didn’t want to join in. I hope George isn’t too pissed when she arrives, that’s all we need,’ Penelope thought to herself.
‘Ladeeeez! You will be glad to hear that I have been saving myself for our chick flick session,
I brought one bottle of red and one white,’ George shrieked as she swung in through the living room door, one bottle in each hand.
‘Thank god! She’s not too drunk!’ ‘Hi there hun, this is Zara, our new housemate… Zara… George.’ Penelope did the introductions.
‘Lovely to meet you.’ Zara said, she was relieved that George seemed to be as drunk as she was, if not slightly more so. ‘Another gorgeous Londoner,’ she thought, as she discreetly looked George up and down. ‘She is impossibly pretty, and her hair is gorgeous. Her skin is café au lait colour, and she has freckles! She’s a bit Spanish looking, I wonder if she is half Spanish, I’ll ask Pen later.’ Zara was taking it all in.
‘Ditto,’ George enthused. ‘So… any boys?’ George shrieked. This was George’s standard question. She always had a boyfriend and she wanted the same happiness for all of her friends.
‘No the usual random dates, investment bankers usually… cardboard cut-outs!’ Penelope was in no mood for talking about the bankers now.
‘Oh dear… well myself and Frank are so in love still, this one is lasting way longer than any of the other ones, do you think he might be… the… dare I say it…?’ George was slurring her words a bit.
‘No! Don’t say it, you’ll curse it…! Let’s just say, he is lovely and leave it at that!’ Penelope shrieked.
‘What about you Zara? Are you seeing anyone at the moment?’ Penelope turned to Zara, and the two girls stared at her waiting for an answer.
‘No. I had a boyfriend up until recently. We had only been seeing each other for a few months and then this job came up so I moved to London, and with the distance and everything it wasn’t really worth continuing… and anyway I knew he wasn’t the… oh actually I won’t say it, but you know what I mean…’ Zara seemed to sober up immediately as she was talking about her ex-boyfriend, and the prospect of him being “the one”.
‘Got it! Sounds good… two single ladies living on Abbeville Road, that’s a recipe for some fun if ever there was one. Are any of Charlie’s friends good looking? I remember when we were in Uni they were all posh, unwashed, rocker types, but that look is quite trendy now.’ George was really enthusiastic.
‘I haven’t met any of them yet,’ Zara added, but she was keen to learn more.
‘Neither have I actually,’ Penelope added.
‘In that case, let’s drink to … Music… and may they all be better looking than they were in Uni.’ George was always fantastic at suggesting things to drink to.
‘Cheers!’ they all said at once as they clinked glasses.
After more wine than was sensible on empty stomachs, apart from Zara’s chips, the girls started to get a little impatient about the food. They had ordered it ages ago.
‘What is taking the food so long?’ Penelope paced up and down debating whether to ring up the takeaway place.
‘I swear they do that on purpose’ Penelope added.
‘Who, the Chinese people?’ George added with a mischievous grin, any excuse to turn it into a joke.
‘George, now… you know they are not actually Chinese don’t you?’ Penelope scolded her as if she was a school teacher.
‘You know what I mean, the Chinese takeaway people then!’ George roared with laughter.
‘I know what you mean, they say half an hour to forty-five minutes, and then they wait until you are passing out with hunger, to arrive with the food. It makes you order more in future.’ Zara wasn’t making any sense at all, she was completely hammered… again!
‘I think I’ll cancel it.’ Penelope had the phone in her hand ready to dial.
‘NO! We’re starving’ The two girls jumped up from the sofa.
‘Ok, I’ll give them five more minutes and then…’ Penelope sighed, she had no intention of ringing to cancel, but it was so funny watching them both overreact.
‘Yay! Saved by the bell!’ Zara clapped her hands as the doorbell went.
‘I’ll get it.’ Penelope headed down to collect the food.
‘I’ll get the plates ready.’ Zara decided to try to make herself useful.
As they were all so starving, the delivery guy, who was not Chinese, only got a five-minute telling off, instead of the usual ten minutes. He was very used to dealing with people like Penelope, and he offered to not charge for delivery to cut her off mid-rant.
‘Right, here we are then. Ok, so what did you order? We’ve got… Oh no…’ Penelope began unpacking the two bags, she was not happy with what she saw.
‘What!?’ Zara asked.
‘They have given us the wrong bloody food!’ Penelope sighed, after all that, they hadn’t even got their order.
‘Well what is it?’ George thought this was hilarious.
‘If it’s nice, let’s just eat it anyway..’ Zara thought this was the best plan.
‘There is one extra bag, excellent, this looks like it could have been worth the wait. I’m not too sure what it is that we are eating, so let’s just all have a bit of each one… ok?’ Penelope cheered up at the realisation that the delay had actually paid off, there was indeed a silver lining to this little cloud.
‘Good idea, but hurry up, I’m starving!’ George was busy filling the wine glasses again.
The next thing, the front door opened. The three girls stood looking at each other in the living room and then as if he had smelled the food Charlie waltzed in sporting a cheeky grin.
‘Hello ladies.’ Charlie beamed at the three of them.
‘Bloody typical! I bet he smelled the food. Hi Charlie, we are in the living room…’ Penelope shouted out to him.
‘Hi Pen, Zara… and who is this?’ ‘She’s cute,’ Charlie thought to himself.
‘Charlie, you remember George from Uni don’t you?’ Penelope was not in the mood for this, she would have to get the message across to Charlie that George was not single before he cosied up beside her on the couch!
‘Of course, I didn’t recognise you with your hair up, sorry about that George…’ George had scraped her hair back to dive into the Chinese takeaway. Charlie regained composure, George was well and truly in the friend zone, no chance of any action!
‘No problem, would you like some food… you are just on time,’ George offered.
‘Well if you have extra…’ Charlie had already helped himself to a glass of wine when he said this.
‘Of course we do, here grab a plate.’ Zara offered him a plate.
‘What is it?’ Charlie peered into the bags.
‘Some kind of Chinese food.’ Penelope sighed, she didn’t have the energy to tell the story again.
‘What do you mean? Have you forgotten what you ordered already?’ Charlie sounded confused.
‘No! We got the wrong food, and it took so bloody long to get here, that we decided not to send it back… so it’s miscellaneous Chinese food.’ Zara offered an explanation.
‘Sounds good to me.’ Charlie couldn’t’ care less as long as it was food.
‘Have you had much response for the room?’ Penelope asked Charlie.
‘My phone literally hasn’t stopped ringing… are we still all on for next Saturday to see people?’ Charlie answered between mouthfuls of food.
‘Yep, otherwise we will have to start paying for the room with next month’s rent.’ Penelope was keen to get the new housemate situation sorted asap.
‘I have made arrangements with any of them who sound half normal, for different times in the morning. Are we narrowing it down to a guy or a girl now, or should we wait and see what they are like? Because there was one girl who sounded lovely…’ Charlie looked all dreamy as he said this.
‘What do you mean by “lovely”?’ Penelope sounded suspicious.
‘Well you know, nice voice, interesting hobbies…’ Charlie grinned.
‘Oh really, what kind of hobbies?’ Zara thought he was serious.
‘Well, I don’t know if you would classify pole dancing as a hobby or a career path, what do you think Zara?’ Charlie roared laughing,<
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‘Oh I don’t know…’ Zara winked back at him. George nearly choked on a forkful of food that she was trying to swallow before laughing.
Once they had all stopped laughing, and George had stopped choking, Penelope decided to set a few ground rules. ‘OK, let’s get this clear from the start, no pole dancers, I don’t care if she’s a bloody nun during the day, no girls with poles, got that?’ Penelope wagged her finger at him as she said this.
‘But…’ Charlie cut in.
‘No buts, no poles, no baby oil!’ Penelope shrieked and they all burst out laughing again.
‘Ok,’ Charlie sighed sheepishly, utterly defeated.
‘Other than that I don’t think we should narrow it down yet, let’s just see what they are like.’ Charlie added, he could be surprisingly sensible sometimes.
‘Ok, do you know anyone looking for somewhere George?’ Penelope asked.
‘Not at the moment Pen, but I’ll let you know if I do, I’ll send an email out at work and let you know if anyone replies,’ George said enthusiastically.
‘I’ll draft an email in work on Monday with the rent and a description of the room and all that stuff, and I’ll send it to you George and you can forward it on,’ Penelope said.
‘Penelope, could you send it to me too, there’s no harm in me sending out an email in work too,’ Zara added.
‘That would be great if you could,’ Penelope smiled at Zara. This night in had been so much fun, she knew that they would all get on like a house on fire. Fingers crossed they would find a new housemate to fit in perfectly.
Chapter 8
Monday, Monday
Zara flounced into work at ten to nine, she had cut her journey time down by fifteen minutes by getting a different train, practice makes perfect in London. That was one thing that she had learned so far.
‘Well hello there… fader!’ Rob was delighted to see Zara, the two of them had really hit it off, and their banter made the day go so much faster, Zara felt exactly the same.
‘Hi Rob, don’t you start… I haven’t had my first daily cappuccino yet!’ Zara had had a great weekend, and was glad of it now that a whole week of worked loomed ahead.
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